Final Answer:
The main goal of Reconstruction was to reunify the Confederate states with the Union and to ensure civil rights for formerly enslaved people, especially through constitutional amendments like the 13th (abolishing slavery), 14th (granting citizenship and equal protection), and 15th (voting rights regardless of race). President Lincoln initially favored a lenient approach (10% Plan), while Congress—especially Radical Republicans—pushed for stricter conditions and protections for freedmen. After Lincoln’s assassination, President Johnson clashed with Congress, leading to his impeachment. Ultimately, Reconstruction ended in 1877 with the Compromise that withdrew federal troops from the South, allowing Southern states to reestablish white-dominated governments and leading to the rise of Jim Crow laws.
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